So, if you are a fulltimer and carry a couple of handguns, want to visit Canada for a few weeks but don't want to bother with the hassle of taking them back and forth across the border are there any types of services that will store your handguns? Do gun shops near the Canadian border offer this service?

So, if you are a fulltimer and carry a couple of handguns, want to visit Canada for a few weeks but don't want to bother with the hassle of taking them back and forth across the border are there any types of services that will store your handguns? Do gun shops near the Canadian border offer this service?

Storing your weapon at the U.S. or Canadian Border
It is not possible to store your guns at the U.S. or Canadian border crossing. If you want to check your firearms into storage you must do it before you get to the border crossing. One of the more popular recommendations for doing this is to rent a local safety deposit box. You can also look up the gun shop nearest to the border crossing you intend to use, and call them to see if they have any recommendations specific to their town.

We just last night returned from a LOOoooong trip with our Airstream through Canada along the way to Alaska. I went through the same apprehensions in our planning about carrying a long gun for safety reasons. In the end we did not. I had read the rules about bring a long gun across the border and found them to be reasonable and very clear. We did many roadside overnights through BC and Yukon on the way and even a few in Alaska. We never had any experiences where I regretted not to bring a gun with us. So unless you have plans to do a lot of back country camping ( we did not) I would advise to not bother with guns. From the roadside we did see many black bear and one did poke around one of our roadsides during the night but no close personal encounters.

Go, enjoy yourself and have a great time and make your decision regarding firearms. OH, and add tomatoes and nectarines to the list of NOT to brings back into the US. Go figure.

__________________
Roger in NJ

" Democracy is the worst form of government. Except for all the rest"
Winston Churchill 1948

So, if you are a fulltimer and carry a couple of handguns, want to visit Canada for a few weeks but don't want to bother with the hassle of taking them back and forth across the border are there any types of services that will store your handguns? Do gun shops near the Canadian border offer this service?

Kelvin

Nope. Which is surprising.

One of my personal business ideas is going to offer FFL transfer from Whitefish to another location in Alaska for travelers and a storage facility for your firearms. Probably a few years out, but I haven't found anyone offering this service. And it seems like it could be a money maker for those traveling. Basically a safety depositor for firearms. But, lots of research into that first.

What I do know is only an FFL dealer can easily send your gun from here to there. But most usually charge a fee at both end. The key would be reducing the fee and hassle and on site storage till your arrival.

Easy for long guns and still possible for side arms. When we did our Alaska trip three years ago Canadian customs did not even ask to see my 12 gauge pump. I just printed the required form on line and already had it printed. We did have to come inside while they ran my driver's license and collect the $25 fee. You can get a permit to transport for a side arm, but each Ind agent can deny entry if they don't like your looks. Never never lie to a customs agent!

Shot guns are fine as long as you don't declare them as personal protection. Rifles are a whole different ballgame as there are many rifles, especially military assault rifles that are either restricted, or prohibitive weapons in Canada; don't even dream of bringing in your AR-anything. As for handguns or side arms, they will be seized and destroyed if you don't declare them as you are not allowed to bring any hand guns over the border. I can't imagine the hoops you'd have to jump through to bring a pistol across the border legally.

As far as lying to a border agent, you'd better be good at lying if you want to do it, but in some cases telling a little white lie would be smarter. Case in point, NEVER admit to a US border agent that you have EVER smoke Mary-Jane (no matter if it was decades ago), EVEN if you didn't inhale; you will be told to return back to Canada and never return to the US.

Also certain offences are have different consequences. Drunk driving charges are enough to not allow you to cross into Canada; where as the US, it's not a big deal. Smoke a joint before entering Canada might get you a stern look from the border agent but on the US side it would be a whole different ball game.

When crossing the border in either direction I carry no citrus, no vegetables, dairy or eggs and no firearms; It's just easier this way, as once flagged at a border crossing for a violation, however small, you can be assured your border crossing days will be long and involved.

Cheers
Tony

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Coming back from Alaska I got to Beaver Creek BC and had real hang-up getting in to Canada. It took hours and $175 CA because they made me Bond ever thing that was in my van. I had NO GUNS,NO AMMO but they went through the van good and I know it was because I had NRA,GOA stickers and license plate frames and sticker that said "Don't trust the government that dose not trust your gun". To us in USA that is free speech, but all it does is make Canada Customs .

__________________Jimmini : AKA : TUMBLEWEED. Just an old buzzard with a itch to yonder. Cowboys have a way of looking at things a little differently than most folks.Their wisdom is simple and more down to earth.

"One of my personal business ideas is going to offer FFL transfer from Whitefish to another location in Alaska
What I do know is only an FFL dealer can easily send your gun from here to there."

I think this idea will only work with long guns. I know that a resident of one state cannot receive a handgun from a ffl in another state. If you buy a handgun you have to have it shipped to a ffl in your home state and prove residence when you do the transfer. You can go to Alaska and buy a long gun from a ffl, but not person to person. Not sure you can sell it though. Maybe to a ffl but certainly not a person to person sale. You can not go to Alaska and buy a handgun unless you are a resident of Alaska.

What I do not know is if there is any way to ship a handgun to yourself in another state and then go pick it up?? Or ship it to a third party non ffl and then pick it up? I doubt that you can do either though.

I winter in Fl and sometimes go to the gun shows. But the only way I can actually buy something is to buy a long gun from a ffl or buy a handgun from a ffl and have it transferred to a ffl in my home state who then can transfer it to me. I am not sure all states even allow the long gun purchase but I know many do.

So, if you are a fulltimer and carry a couple of handguns, want to visit Canada for a few weeks but don't want to bother with the hassle of taking them back and forth across the border are there any types of services that will store your handguns? Do gun shops near the Canadian border offer this service?

Kelvin

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoldAdventure

Nope. Which is surprising.

I know of a gun shop in Minnesota that used to offer this service, but I don't know if they still do since the owner retired and someone else is managing the store. They rented lockers for that purpose.

Last time my wife and I took the Airstream to Canada we concluded "the game wasn't worth the candle". The international bureaucracy isn't worth the hassle. Plenty of places we still want to travel in the US. If we wanted to take the Airstream to Alaska I think I would take a hard look at the Alaska Ferry System.

Coming back from Alaska I got to Beaver Creek BC and had real hang-up getting in to Canada. It took hours and $175 CA because they made me Bond ever thing that was in my van. I had NO GUNS,NO AMMO but they went through the van good and I know it was because I had NRA,GOA stickers and license plate frames and sticker that said "Don't trust the government that dose not trust your gun". To us in USA that is free speech, but all it does is make Canada Customs .

Well, you did advertise that you're a gun owner, and they're specifically looking for undeclared firearms.
I don't imagine it takes much to initiate a search when crossing the border in either direction. Most of the time they'll trust what you say to be true, but it's certainly not uncommon to be pulled over. For that reason we always make sure we declare everything accurately.

It could also have been a random check. I use a NEXUS card to cross the border but have still been pulled over for random searches, it can happen to anyone.